Sighting device



May 29, 1945. J. R. AUFIERO SIGHTING DEVICE Filed Sepb. 29, 1942 INVENToR. BY//a /u//era M1 Patented May 29, 1945 l UNITED STATES PATE NVT. OFFICE ls-Icfntrmd Dnv'lcr. o John n. Ahnen, Brooklyn, N.` Y. Applcatonseptember 29, 1942, Serial No; 460,090

' 3 claims. (.Cl. :s-2.3)

auxiliary part of, optical instruments utilized for manifold purposes.l

, It is an object of they invention to provide `a` sighting device which may be effectively ernp'loyed to establish or determine a line of sight and in which the user will have no difculty in ascertaining when such sight line or optical axis has been established. A

An `additional object is that of furnishing a unit `of vthis type which may be employed by' relatively` inexperienced persons and y with results equal to those which will obtaiirwhen the unit is being handled by experts. y

VAnother object is that of furnishing a sighting device which will embody relatively few parts, each simple and rugged in construction; these parts being `capable of ready manufacture by relatively'unskilledlabor and vthe unit being thus susceptible tomarketing ataJ relatively nominal Still another object is thatof furnishing a unit of this general character which may be employed even when lightV conditions are most unsatisfactory, in that only minimum light-absorption. will occur;y the device being capable of adjustment to enable its use even under dusk. and night conditions.

With these and other objects in mind, reference ishad to the attached sheet of drawings illustrating practical embodimentsof the inven-l tion, and in which:

, Fig.` l is` a perspective view ormone arrangement and construction of parts;

' Fig'. 2 is a face View of one form yof casing which may housethese parts;

Figs. 3, 4, and areenlarged face views of fragments of the reflectors or mirrors which are apart of the device; and. o

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken through a casing and showing the general arrangement of parts as villustrated in Fig. 1 but additionally illustrating `lens, assemblies lin association with the casing. Primarily referring to Fig. l, the reference numera-ls I0 andV II indicatea pair of mirrors or reflecting elements arranged at an angle with re` spect to the line of sight to provide what may be Preferably, 'these mirrors are of the front-surface type. This has been especially shown in Fig. o in which the back sheet lor` layer may be of glass as indicated at I 2, and a front surface-provided by aluminizing or in any other desirable man ner-has been indicated by the numeral I3;-

Again returning to a consideration of Fig. l,

it will be observed that the surface of each of" the'mirrors or reectors I0 and I It may be pro# vided with an indicating mark or point I4.' Each of these is located'in the center of its respective mirror. As shown especially in Fig.l 6, it will be observed that 'these points may be established by removing the Areiiecting surface I3 to" establish the point and so as to Iprovide a transparent area inline with'the same. f

While' it is, of course, obvious that various arrangements ofthe `mirrors might be utilized, it is preferred that their Iside axes extend in directions perpendicular to the line of l sight.v With such an arrangement, it lis apparent that an lobserver looking towards mirror II will see reflected in the surface of the same the image or images which are, 'in turn, reflectedfrom a point beyond the 'device' and by means of thesu'rfac'e kof mirror I 0. Accordingly, nothing more than a simplefor'in of periscope arrangement isV pre's ent. However, as a consequence of providing the points or indicating marks I 4 preferably in the centers of each vof the mirrors, but in any event located in each mirror' so that the optical system is' properly correlated, it will beappar'ent that a further result is achieved.

More particularly'an object may appear reected to the eye of the observer in mirror Il. However, as will be apparent, the areas or points I4 will be superposed upon the image appearing in the surface of mirror II. Now, when the opticalaxis of the sighting device is not properly aligned upon the object which is viewed in the surface of mirror II, the two Apoints or areas will appear 'as' two distinct and'separate elements. When properly aligned and due to the arrange ment and correlation of the different mirrors, the two areas,- will be superposed and appear as a single dot or otherwise as might be desirable.`

For example, as in Fig. 3, merely a very reduced area or zone of the surfacing I3 deiines'the point I4. This is similar to the arrangement shown in Figs. -1 and 6. Inr Figf.\4, lthe point has beenV indicatedin the'form of cross hairs; the effect of which has been achieved byV removing the coating along intersecting lines as indicated at I5. In Fig'. 5 and in common with Fig 4, a reticle eifect has been achieved by providing a series of erator may be assured of readily bringing thev optical axis of the sighting device of the present invention into registry with the target. This will be achieved by merely viewing the target as reflected in the surface of the mirror Il and bringing into coincidence the markings of the areas or points wherever their configuration. Obviously, `if the device is associated with a rifle, gun or cannon and is in proper relationship with respect thereto, such registering of the reticles orv points will assure the observer that he has the axis of the re arm in proper registry with the target. If the unit is applied in association with any other type of apparatus (such as a bomb sight, optical unit, etc.) the operator will again be assured that certain predetermined results obtain when registry of the diierent reticles or their equivalents occurs on the target being viewed.

As has been previously brought out, it is preferred that the areas which may be conveniently termed registering points and be provided by removing the reecting layers of the mirrors in line with the reticle or other effect which is to be achieved and that these points should be in definitely predetermined areas of the mirrors as established by the relationship of the two mirrors, not alone with respect to each other but also with respect to the auxiliary apparatus (such as a.

rearm) in conjunction with which they may be employed. Where such transparency is resorted to, it is feasible and intended as part of the present invention that a source of illumination be provided in association with the point. To this end and especially as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. electric bulbs I1 may be mounted to the rear of the mirrors or reflecting members and adjacent the points. Consequently, these will appear as points of light superimposed upon the image viewed in mirror Il. Therefore, the operator by merely bringing the points of light into registry will achieve the results desired. However, this feature may be still further developed by interposing between the source or sources of illumination and the points on the mirrors layers or bodies I8 which provide color. Consequently, the effect of glare on the eye of the observer will be materially diminished.

Most important, however, it becomes feasible as a consequence of this expedient to make the layers I8 of different color. The various combinations which may be employed are too numerous to mention. However, for example, conceding that one layer would be blue and the other layer yellow, it is apparent that, as the operator manipulates whatever mechanism is involved to bring these points into registry with the desired part of the target, the blue and yellow points of light or illuminated dots or reticles appearing in the image of the mirror Il will, when superposed, present a single green point of greater or lesser brilliancy according to the intensity of illumination and the particular shade of blue and yellow incorporated in the layers I8.

Y Thus, even an inexperienced operator will have no diculty in securing a proper optical registration on any desired target. In order to regulate the intensity of illumination, it is obvious that any number of expedients may be resorted to. For example, in the current supplying leads I9, a rheostat 20 may be interposed; the bulbs I1 being arranged in parallel. According to the position of adjustment of the rheostat, a greater or lesser amount of current will be supplied to the filaments of the bulbs, thus producing the result desired.

With a view to providing a minimum optical obstruction, a casing such as indicated at 2l in Fig. 2 may be employed and in which the lower portion of the front of the casing is open so that the mirror Il may freely be seen therein. 1t is apparent that the upper rear portion of the casing will be similarly open to allow light rays to pass to and be reflected from the mirror lll.

Under certain conditions, it might be desired to provide for magnification of the image, in which case the structure shown in Fig. 6 or a functional equivalent thereof might be employed. In this form of the device, a casing 22 similar to casing 2| is utilized but preferably the openings through the lower front and upper rear walls are reduced in area and lens mounts 23 are secured in line with such openings. These mounts serve to support assemblies 24 which may be of any desired type and so that a proper magnification of the image is assured. As will again be obvious, the points on the different mirrors will readily be apparent to the observer looking through the eye piece of the unit, and the same technique as heretofore described will govern the use of the device.

It is obvious that an extremely compact unit is thus provided which will incorporate high accuracy with points or reticles which are preferably illuminated. With different colors employed, the registration of the points is easily determined; the different colors indicating to the user the adjustment which must be resorted to. Very few parts and low cost will be involved in a device such as this, which will be well adapted for use even when light conditionsvare most unsatisfactory. This will be especially true because the intensity of the illumination as provided by the bulbs IT or their equivalent may readily be controlled. The observer will have no difculty in determining when he is not in correct position on the target, because the two points of light will be off` center with respect to the target and these points of light will diverge and assurne their individual colors while, if proper registration has been secured, the two points will superimpose and the two colors will blend together, thus certifying to the observer the correctness of his position.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that among others the several objects of the invention as specifically afore noted are achieved. Obviously, numerous changes in construction and rearrangements of the parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

I claim:

l. A sighting device including a housing, a pair cf reflectors xedly disposed therein in spaced relationship and at such angle relative to each other that the image to a distant target within the eld of the reflector isvreflected from one to the other and thence to the eye of an observer; each of the reectors having a common plane,

superimposed on each other and on the target,

and means disposed behind said transparent areas for illuminating the same relative to the respective reflectors.

2. A sighting device according to claim 1, in 10 which the means for illuminating said transparent areas are of distinctly di'erent colors which .combine to form a third distinctly different color.

3. A sighting device according to claim 1 in Which-color filters are disposed intermediate the transparent sighting device and the respective illumination means therefor, said color lters n being of distinctly diierent color which when combined, produce a. third distinctly different color.

JOI-1N R. AUFIERO. 

